David
Runyan and his wife, Kim,
release young quails as a part of
this winner's management
plan. PHOTO: Barry Fikes

By
Victoria Oxley
JSU News Bureau

March 3, 2004 -- Scientists said it couldn't be done, but Jacksonville
State University alumnus David B. Runyan defied long-standing scientific
thought and brought back the quail population in Tuskegee.

The 1994 biology graduate won the 2003 Progressive Farmer/Rural Sportsman
Upland Game Management Farm of the Year award for his work managing
Uphapee Plantation, a 2,450-acre private property in Tuskegee, where
he repopulated the bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus).

Runyan was featured in Progressive Farmer Magazine and has
been nominated for an honorary doctorate. Governor Bob Riley has proposed
that the Alabama Quail Trail be renamed the David B. Runyan Quail
Trail. President Bush has been invited to participate in Tuskegee's
annual dove shoot and view Runyan's work.

Runyan was hired to manage the property in 1997 and found that the
historic site had fallen into neglect, with locals often using it
as a drag strip and a dumping ground. More than 60 years ago, the
land was used by the Army to house and train young black men to become
military pilots, flight engineers, gunners, and mechanics. Many of
these men went on to become decorated World War II heroes. Many gave
their lives fighting in the war.

When Runyan got to work, he found that the only habitat consisted
of weeds that grew up through the old asphalt runways. Still, he welcomed
the prospect of transforming the land.

"I've worked on a lot of different pieces of property, and this by
far has been the most interesting, purely because of the history,"
said Runyan, who previously had never heard of the Tuskegee Airmen,
but has since studied them and met a few. "You're driving through
the woods, and the next thing you know, there's a road, curb, and
a sewer drain. It was actually like a city. I'm real proud that I
have taken what was once an old city and turned it into a prime wildlife
habitat."

Runyan created the habitat through methods such as food planting,
prescribed burning, clearing land, and thinning timber. With the land
improved, he then set quail loose on the property. His efforts to
restore birds to the wild are unconventional.

Quail are usually released at about 12 weeks of age. Most birds are
set free in the late summer or early fall. The ones that aren't killed
by natural causes or predators are usually killed during the hunting
season. Few survive their first winter.

"People think that a released bird doesn't have the ability to survive,"
Runyan said, "much less proliferate and reproduce."

Runyan did research and learned that 12-week-old birds often lose
their survival instincts in captivity. Runyan experimented by releasing
younger and younger birds, ranging from ten weeks old to six weeks
old. Based on his findings, for the past two years he has been releasing
six week old vaccinated, banded birds with amazing success.

Runyan gives the birds a good start by releasing them in heavy cover
surrounded by food plots, water and prime habitat. He also helps the
birds by trapping and hunting predators such as raccoons, possums,
bobcats, foxes, and coyotes.

"The last two years, we have seen a boom in population," Runyan says.
"We are seeing a recognizable increase of banded birds. It's very
rewarding. I feel like I am making difference. What I've been most
excited about is sharing what I've learned and the formula I've come
up with for the successful repopulation of quail. I hope people will
pay attention and other people will start practicing some of what
I have done and achieve their own success."

Runyan's success has brought him offers including endorsement work,
a book contract, and an opportunity to travel around the country speaking
about his research.